Blog Tour: Transcend - Christine Fonesca, Book Review (145).

Transcend

by Christine Fonseca

Publication: 18th September 2012

Publisher: Compass Press

Pages: 200

Genre: Historical Romance

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

"so powerful, so deep, and dark. It took me on an amazing journey into places most people fear to go...leaving me breathless."
~Heather McCorkle, Author of To Ride A Puca 

"This Phantom of the Opera-inspired tale is hauntingly dark and achingly beautiful. A story of love, loss and obsession set against the decadent backdrop of historic New York that sucked me in and wouldn't let go, from the first page until long after I'd finished. Ien still haunts my dreams..." 
~ Michelle McLean, Author of Treasured Lies (Entangled, 2012)


All seventeen-year-old composer Ien Montgomery desires is an escape from his family's rigid expectations for his life; someone to inspire his music. When he meets a beautiful violin-prodigy, Kiera McDougal, his life music takes on new life. With her, he imagines a future outside of his parents’ control. That is, until a horrible accident tears them apart. 

Sent to die in a sanatorium, Ien’s obsession for Kiera grows unbearable. Tortured by thoughts he can’t escape and the truth of his monstrous disfigurement, he flees, desperate to exact revenge on the people that ruined his life – his parents. But, vengeance is empty. Betrayed by those closest to him, Ien discovers that the price for his happiness may be his sanity.

Set amidst the landscape of New York's Gilded Age, and inspired by Phantom of the Opera, TRANSCEND exposes the fine line between love and madness.

My Thoughts...

This book was absolutely amazing, I have long been a fan of the story of The Phantom Of The Opera, I saw the movie thirteen times at the cinema, so when I found out that this book was inspired by the story I hurriedly signed up for the blog tour, and boy I was not disappointed!

The twists and turns throughout this book had me sitting there at the end with my jaw dropped, I didn't expect the end and it was certainly a surprise.

Ien comes from a rich family, he's expected to take over the family business after the death of his older brother, he is in love with a girl Kiera whom her family especially his mother forbids him from seeing or marrying, but against his mother's wishes he proposes and she accepts, but on the walk home he is involved in a terrible accident which leaves most of his face, arms, legs and torso disfigured from burns.

Not expected to live he manages to hold on and the thought of Kiera keeps him going, after his parents fake his death he is sent away to die in a sanitarium, but he eventually escapes to take revenge on the people whom he blames for his accident and injuries and to find Kiera so that they can be together again.

But what happens if the one person he trusted to love him no matter, what is terrified by his appearance?

I highly recommend this book, the suspense in not knowing what will occur next and the journey to the shocking climax will have you on the edge of your seat.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Christine Fonesca writes next.

I give this a huge 5/5.

Deleted Scene – Part #2

Yesterday you were introduced to a deleted scene in which Kiera tells of the horrible accident that deforms Ien.  You can read part 1 here. Today, we continue the scene from Kiera’s POV:

            Chaos surround me. People dcrowding the burning building, shouting. Words, unintelligible and raw, swim around me.  “…a boy…trapped...too late…”             They bounce around in my mind before I can grasp their meaning. Everything slows and realization crests over me.

            My pulse speeds.

            The world spins.

            A hand reaches out for me, but I back away. I follow the hand to an arm, a chest, a face.

            James.

            His normally tan pants are caked in ash and mud. His face is blackened with soot. Water fills his eyes and I know.

            IknowIknowIknow.

            The oxygen leaves my lungs. My heartbeat roars in my ears.

            For a split second I think I’m dreaming, that everything around me, the chaos and the fire, the smell of burning flesh in the air, all of it is a lie.

            But then I look at James and the truth present in his eyes.

            I look over his shoulder to the flames still licking the walls of the building. I push past James, screaming.

            Help me, I hear in the recesses of my thoughts.

I walk forward yelling, “Ien. I’m coming Ien.”

Firm hands grab me. I scream and pull, unable to free myself. The heat of the flames teases my senses.

“Let me go,” I snarl. “I have to find him. Ien!”

“It’s too late,” James whispers in my ears. “We’re too late.”

He pulls me backbackback and the dream, the nightmare, takes over again. Everything is happening too fast. Too slow. Nothing makes sense. All I know, all I can feel, is that my sole reason for existing is somehow gone. Impossibly gone.

My body shakes and the reality of my thoughts take hold. A scream forms deep inside my belly. My legs wobble and I scream, “Ien!”

Over and over the word repeats until my voice is raw. I choke and sputter, his name finally dying on my lips.

My legs wobble, my knees quiver and in a moment I am on the ground, my dress covered in soot and mud.

James holds on to me, softening my landing. But he can’t soften the reality crashing around me. He can’t bring back my Ien. He can’t heal me

And maybe I don’t want him to.

Tears stream freely down my face as I imagine a world without my Ien, my muse, my love.

You can get the last part of this scene tomorrow at Night Owl Reads.

About Christine...

School psychologist by day, critically acclaimed YA and nonfiction author by night, Christine Fonseca believes that writing is a great way to explore humanity. Her many titles include TRANSCEND, DIES IRAE, LACRIMOSA, MEA CULPA, and in nonfiction: 101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS and EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS.

When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can be sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter. Catch her daily thoughts about writing and life on her blog.

For more information about Christine Fonseca or the series, visit her website – http://christinefonseca.com or her blog http://christinefonseca.blogspot.com.

Availability:

Publisher: COMPASS PRESS

ISBN: 9780985180478

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13559187-transcend

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-ebook/dp/B009940DFA

Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/transcend-christine-fonseca/1112839753

SPECIAL EDITION Signed and numbered Hardback available for preorder NOW (ships in Decemeber) – for a limited time only, and only form the author. - http://christinefonseca.blogspot.com/p/get-your-hardback-of-transcend-here.html

Mailbox Tuesday.

Tuesday's Mailbox.
I've decided that I will stop participating in In My Mailbox, the reason being I seem to get a lot of books every week and it takes me forever to put them all together in one post and link them up.
So I will be doing Mailbox Mon-Fri every week  

Brought...

Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2) - Amy Garvey

Book Review (144): Intuition - J. Meyers

Intuition (Intangible 0.5)

by J. Meyers

Publication: 3rd November 2011
Publisher: J. Meyers
Pages: 22
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Luke and his twin sister Sera have unusual abilities. Hers is a gift—she can heal with a touch of her hand. His is a curse—he can see the future but he can’t do anything about it.

On a hike up the mountain, Luke has a vision unlike any other—one that leaves him terrified. Knowing that it will come true—and that he must do everything in his power to stop it—leaves his own future uncertain.

My Thoughts...

This is a short story, only twenty-two pages long but it sets up the first book Intangible very well and had me wanting to start it as soon as I'd finished this novella.

This story is about twins Luke and Sera who each have special gifts, Luke has visions of the future and Sera can heal people with her touch.

They decide one day to take a hike and while doing so Luke has a vision of a man on the mountain falling and injuring his knee, never having been able to stop a vision from coming true he rushes to the man but again he's too late, Sera heals him and the man questions why his knee is suddenly better, talking him into the thought that it wasn't really injured at all they help him on his way back down the mountain.

Luke while hiking also has a vision of being inside a cave and seeing a dead body, all he can see of the dead person are the shoes which look very familiar to him, and then THE END!

So you can see why I wanted to get onto the next book straight away.

Luke and Sera seem to be very likable characters and I'm eager to see who the dead person is, and to also read more about their world.
I give this 4/5.

Mailbox Monday.

Monday's Mailbox.
I've decided that I will stop participating in In My Mailbox, the reason being I seem to get a lot of books every week and it takes me forever to put them all together in one post and link them up.
So I will be doing Mailbox Mon-Fri every week     

Review...

Burning Blue - Paul Griffin (Text Publishing Australia)

Brought...

The Crown Of Embers (Fire And Thorns #2) - Rae Carson

What's Left Of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) - Kat Zhang

Blog Tour And Giveaway: Death's Dream Kingdom - Jessica Penot, Book Review (143).

Death's Dream Kingdom

by Jessica Penot

Publication: 1st May 2012
Publisher: Musa Publishing

Pages: 300

Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal

Age Appropriate: Adult

Death's Dream Kingdom is the story of a woman who is ordinary in everyway. She's an average mother and wife and is happy living every day mired in theins and outs of the mundane, until she is murdered. After her death, Cera findsherself lost in a nether land somewhere between life and death where demons,ghosts, and old gods  roam the streets preying on the living. In this strangeworld, Cera is told that she is everything but ordinary. In death, she alone canhelp heal the rift between worlds and help bridge the gap between life and death. Caught somewhere between her desire to live again and the desire to findheaven, Cera fights those that would pull her into the politics of thenetherworld. But the will of the Fates is stronger than Cera's will and Cera quickly finds herself pulled into a quest that will drag her to hell and backand into the arms of an ancient demon lover. She will find that she is  a child a Fate and that she alone can challenge Death himself for dominion over his kingdom. 

My Thoughts...

Cera is murdered one night while out running, she finds herself a spirit whom refuses to leave her family and so stays there for years until she finally accepts that it is time to move on.

She is escorted by Sin a reaper to the tree of life where she is introduced to Dismis, who resides over the tree and makes her a reaper herself, she soon discovers that Dismis and his fellow reapers are not doing their job properly and are leaving the spirits to wander around aimlessly and not giving them the peace that they want and deserve.

She also comes across a man named Arawyn who unbeknown to her is someone that she used to know very well and has been keeping track of her life, waiting for the day she will die and they can be reunited in death.

Unknown to Cera she is actually Ceradwyn a child of fate and inbetween each life on earth she and Arawyn are together.

We come across gods and goddesses, angels and demons, gargoyles and the fates, they will all come together to fight each other over the fate of the underworld and it will depend on Cera regaining her memories as well as Sin who is prophesised to defeat Dismis once and for all.

If you like mythology then there is plenty in this book, I love learning about different myths that I hadn't known about before.

I would recommend this book for adults as the language is very strong and people may find some of the words offensive.

I give this 3.5/5.

Excerpt...
Remembering your death is like remembering your birth. What you remember of it is really pieces of what others have told you. They are images pieced together from photographs and others’ memories. Cera remembered her death like an old movie. She remembered the dark sky and soft clouds. She remembered the scent of lavender and green grass.

Cera was happy. She thought she was happy. She knew that she was loved. She had children. She had three beautiful boys who loved her as deeply as she loved them. Long after her death she could still see them in her mind’s eye; their cherubic faces, their little feet. She could smell their breath as they kissed her. When she thought about it, the pain became as tangible as any pain in life. It was as real as the pain of child birth. It was as real as the pain of death.

Cera was running. She always went running in the evenings, after the children went to bed. She loved to run around the park. Cera went out running in the moonlight, listening to the sound of her own tortured breath. She ran over soft grass and cobblestone, counting her miles. She must have been lost in the rhythm of her own motion, because she never saw him coming. She never saw the man that slit her throat as easily as she buttered bread. She didn’t see the delight he took in the motion or the smile on his face when her body fell at his feet. All these things were lost to her.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio...

I am a therapist and writer who lives in Alabama with my three corgis, children, husband, and other strange creatures. My short stories have been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies including CSM, Summer Gothic, Bound By Blood, and Outer Darkness. I have ghost story columns in theValley Planet and White Cat Magazine where I share my love for ghost stories that send shivers down your spine and keep you up at night.   I also share my passion for all things ghostly and haunted at my blog, ghost stories and haunted places.

 

I am currently working on my next Haunted America Book for History Press, Haunted South Alabama.  Follow me at my blog to learn about the ghost stories I am chasing and collecting for this fascinating addition to Haunted America.  I'm also workng on the next book in my Circe series.  The demon is awake and waiting for my new heroine in the swamps of Southern Alabama.  Click Here to Follow My Blog!

You can contact me at   jessica.penot@gmail.com

Contact Links:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

MUSA Publishing

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Blog Tour: Flight - Alyssa Rose Ivy

Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1)

by Alyssa Rose Ivy 

Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

Published August 16th 2012

About Alyssa...

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

http://www.alyssaroseivy.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/alyssaroseivy 

https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaRoseIvy 

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5047249.Alyssa_Rose_Ivy 

Buy Flight.
Amazon  Barnes & Noble  

Blog Tour And Giveaway: The Star Child - Stephanie Keyes, Book Review (142).

The Star Child

by Stephanie Keyes

The world is about to be cloaked in darkness. Only one can stop the night.

Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, one who has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, shows up spinning tales of a prophecy. Not just any old prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role.

Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time?

My Thoughts...

Kellen is a seventeen year old genius, when we first join him in the book he's graduating from Yale University, with no family there celebrating, his mother is dead and his father is a cold man and has never had or wanted anything to do with him, he plans on moving to Ireland and living in his Gran's house that she left him in her will after her recent death.

When he was six years old and visiting his Gran he came across a girl Calienta his age with her father and ever since then she has been in his dreams every night, and he hasn't been back long when he see's her again, she takes him to a cave who's walls are covered in pictures that have been there for centuries, it's there that she explains to him that he is part of a prophecy and that they are destined to be together, Kellen doesn't believe her at first, but after a bit of convincing and a visit by her father who is kidnapped by his evil son they then set out to try to rescue him.

So begins Kellen and Calienta's trek through another world where gods, faeries, angels, demons, gargoyles and three headed dogs abound.

It's there that both of their destiny's will come into fruition, through time travel and a battle that will determine whether the prophecy will come to pass.

So if you like your books filled with action, adventure and a little romance then this is the book for you.

I'm interested to see whether this will become a series, because after the ending in this book I'm dying to know what will happen next.

I give this 3.5/5.

The giveaway (paperback and posters) is open to US and UK only. The ebooks are international.a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Stephanie...

When I'm not writing, I work as a freelance instructional and graphic designer, along with my husband of ten years. My most important job of all, however, is being a mom to two little boys under the age of six and Riley, the Cockapoo Princess.

When I am not working, mothering someone, or writing, I am an avid reader. Naturally, my favorite genre is Fantasy, but I'll read just about anything given the chance!

I'm also a gadget freak (if it's new I have to have it) and a music addict. I play the clarinet, saxophone, and sing.

My first novel, The Star Child, will be released in September 2012 by Inkspell Publishing. I am now currently at work on the second book in The Star Child Trilogy, The Fallen Stars.

Stephanie's Links.

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Add The Star Child On Goodreads

Pre-Order The Star Child

Release Day Blitz: The Star Child - Stephanie Keyes

Stephanie Keyes is a wonderful voice for a new generation of YA readers. She has skilfully blended mythology and faerie-tale into an original and enthralling story.  Pure magick! I'm looking forward to more. - Maya Snow, Author of Sisters Of The Snow

The Star Child

by Stephanie Keyes 

The world is about to be cloaked in darkness. Only one can stop the night.

Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, one who has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, shows up spinning tales of a prophecy. Not just any old prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role.

Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time?

Special Teaser Quote!

“You see, Kellen, Calienta is a Star Child.” Gran to Kellen, The Star Child

Want to read more of Kellen? – See the complete list of release day party hosts and enjoy the sweet tid-bits!

EXCLUSIVE BOOK BIRTHDAY DISCOUNT!

Buy the book now at Inkspell Publishing Store and enjoy a special EXCLUSIVE 30% discount! Offer valid only till 30^th Sep!

Also, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and The Book Depository amongst others.

Join the twitter party at 7:00 PM EST! - http://twtvite.com/thestarchild

Giveaway:

Paperback copy and posters are open to US, UK and Canada only. ebook giveaway is international.a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Stephanie...

Stephanie Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems as well as a Master’s in Education. A seasoned, facilitator, Mrs. Keyes worked in Training and Development for an international telecommunications corporation for twelve years; spending the first eight years of her career as a Software Trainer and Technical Writer and the last four working in Human Resources and Employee Development. 

In May of 2012, Mrs.Keyes left the corporate world to focus on her family and her writing full-time. She also operates a freelance graphic and instructional design business, Sycamore Road Design.

Inkspell Publishing will release her first novel, The Star Child, on September 21, 2012. She is now currently at work on the second book in The Star Child Trilogy, The Fallen Stars.

Keyes lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, and Riley the dog.

Contact Stephanie
Website: www.stephaniekeyes.com 
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/page... 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/StephanieKeyes 

Mailbox Friday.

Friday's Mailbox.
I've decided that I will stop participating in In My Mailbox, the reason being I seem to get a lot of books every week and it takes me forever to put them all together in one post and link them up.
So I will be doing Mailbox Mon-Fri every week    

Review...

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) - Maggie Stievater (Scholastic Australia)
This Is A Finished Copy, I Still Need To Read The ARC That They Sent.

Brought...

Seduce Me In Shadow (Doomsday Brethren #2) - Shayla Black

Cover Reveal: Opal - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Opal (Lux #3)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Expected publication: December 11th 2012 by Entangled Publishing

Feature And Follow Friday (42).

Q: What hyped up book was worth all of the fuss?

I recently finished reading Storm (Elemental #1) - Brigid Kemmerer

OMG! Has there ever been so many hotties in the one family all in one book?

I love everything about this book/series.

Well worth the hype!

U.S COVER

AUSTRALIAN COVER

Earth. Fire. Air. Water.

When Becca Chandler saves Chris Merrick from being beaten-up in the school car park, she has no idea how dramatically this one action will change her life. Chris is no ordinary guy and neither are his three older brothers. The Merrick boys are Elementals. Hot. Powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

Then there's Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time. With her life at stake, Becca doesn't know who to trust or whose secrets she should keep. and with two boy vying for her affections, and pressure rising all around her, will she find out in time who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all?

Take Cover.
The storm is coming!

Mailbox Thursday.

Thursday's Mailbox.
I've decided that I will stop participating in In My Mailbox, the reason being I seem to get a lot of books every week and it takes me forever to put them all together in one post and link them up.
So I will be doing Mailbox Mon-Fri every week    

Brought...

The Unwanteds (Unwanteds #1) - Lisa McMann

Island Of Silence (Unwanteds #2) - Lisa McMann

Completely Smitten (Fates #3) - Kristine Grayson

The Mammoth Book Of Ghost Romance Anthology

Cover Reveal: Abandon - Elana Johnson

Abandon (Possession #3)

by Elana Johnson

Cover Reveal: Starglass - Phoebe North

Starglass

by Phoebe North 

My darling daughter,

Know that I never would have left the Earth if it hadn't already been doomed. . .

The generation ship Asherah coasts through space, bound for a planet its passengers have never even seen. On the eve of their arrival, sixteen-year-old botanist Terra discovers that her orderly society has fractured. Walking home one night through the long-abandoned engine rooms, she witnesses the murder of an innocent man. Now, called on by the Children of Abel, a group of rebels intent on destroying the High Council, Terra must prove her mettle--assassinate the ship's rising captain. In order to carry out her task, Terra must betray her father, deceive her teacher, and challenge everything the Council has ever taught her was true. 

The rebels think that Terra has nothing left to lose. But when she falls for Silvan Rafferty, the boy that she's meant to kill, Terra learns that "doing your duty" isn't always as easy as it seems

Expected publication: July 23rd 2013 by Simon and Schuster

Cover Reveal: - If I Should Die - Amy Plum

If I Should Die (Revenants #3)

by Amy Plum

Expected publication: May 2013 by Atom UK